What exactly are the NFL's new targeting rules about hitting helmet first?

Welcome to FTW Explains: a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. You may have seen NFL players penalized for unnecessary roughness due to using their helmet the wrong way and wondered what was up with that. We’re here to help.

What’s going on here?

This all began before the 2018 NFL season: Back in March, the league passed a rule in which players would be penalized for lowering their heads while tackling. The hope was to help tacklers avoid head injuries and serious neck and spine injuries, such as the one suffered by Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier.

That’s it?

Contact does not have to be to an opponent’s head or neck area – lowering the head and initiating contact to an opponent’s torso, hips, and lower body, is also a foul. Violations of the rule will be easier to see and officiate when they occur in open space – as opposed to close line play – but this rule applies anywhere on the field at any time.​

Penalties for Violation: Loss of 15 yards. If the foul is by the defense, it is also an automatic first down. The player may also be ejected. Ejection standards:

1. Player lowers his helmet to establish a linear body posture prior to initiating and making contact with the helmet

2. Unobstructed path to his opponent

3. Contact clearly avoidable and player delivering the blow had other options

How do players feel about the change?

San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman told USA TODAY Sports that “Like telling a driver if you touch the lane lines, you’re getting a ticket. (It’s) gonna lead to more lower-extremity injuries.” He add this recently:

“They’re just trying to keep the game safe, trying to keep guys healthy. I think it’s good for the game. We just gotta adjust,” Talib said in his press conference Thursday. …

“It’s definitely going to be a challenge for some guys. Me personally, I’m a leg-tackler, so nothing changes for me,” Talib said. “Guys just have to adjust. They’re just trying to have guys healthy when they retire. It’s good for the tackler, it’s good for the offensive guy, so it’s part of the game. we’ve adjusted to a lot of things so far, so it’s just another thing we gotta adjust to.”

Ravens safety Bennett Jackson had his own theory after Thursday’s preseason game, in which Baltimore was flagged three times (from NFL.com):

“I feel like they’re trying to harp on it a lot more in preseason, so they’re going to throw flags even on times when it’s not necessarily head to head, just to make people aware of it,” Jackson said. “I spoke to the ref. He even said, ‘Hey, it’s preseason, we got to throw the flag.'”

And here’s a take from Dan Patrick on how the new rule will affect players:

What exactly are the NFL's new targeting rules about hitting helmet first?

We break down the wording, details, and reactions to the new rule.

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